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Death Angel Relentless Retribution Review by Mike Korn Death Angel were always kind of the "odd man out" in the Bay Area thrash boom of the 80s and I'm sure they liked it that way. The more mainstream and melodic vocals of Mark Osegueda were a polarizing factor for many, combined with their adventurous tendency to put in elements like funk, blues and old school metal into their thrash mixture. Their comeback album of a few years ago, The Art of Dying, was pretty disappointing to these ears, sounding tentative and not quite ready to mix it up with their more modern thrash counterparts. I'm glad to say Relentless Retribution redressed this situation, bringing a harder edged and tougher sound back to the front while not neglecting the odds touches that made albums like Frolic In The Park so quirky. I still consider their 1987 debut The Ultra-Violence to be the crown jewel in Death Angel's collection, but Relentless Retribution is nothing to be ashamed of at all. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Relentless Revolution The band wastes no time demonstrating their heavier sound with this thuggish stomper. It's not mega-fast in the true thrash sense, but the guitar sound is really brutal and backed up with drums to match.

Claws in So Deep It's somewhat unusual for the longest song on the album to be in the second slot, but here it is. On The Ultra-Violence, these mini-epics were Death Angel's stock in trade. This one is fast and angular, but still melodic. Some lower register vocals mix in with Osegueda's more typical raspier singing. You definitely get more of that excellent D.A. lead soloing here but stick around till the end when we get a real twist...a powerful acoustic workout mixed with a sprinkling of synths. This unpredictability keeps you on your toes.

Truce Thrash! Here's a straightforward speedy bruiser to inflame the pit. A touch of melody keeps this from being a total blur, but it is one tune that benefits from its simplicity. The dueling guitar solos are killer.

Into the Arms of Righteous Anger This muscular song returns to the more measured but still heavy style of Relentless Revolution. The grooving, staccato riffs are reminiscent of Metallica and Pantera and the shouted chorus is kind of Anthrax-like.

River of Rapture Here's another raging thrash monster that takes us right back to The Ultra-Violence with its speed and precision. It has its groovier elements but the main theme during the verse is classic Bay Area skanking, with some awesomely heavy bass throbbing going on.

Absence Of Light I get a strong Metallica vibe out of this, kind of like "Enter Sandman" but darker and mixed with choppy riffing. It's heavy enough, but not all that original and not one of the highlights.

This Hate Hate is what you get in spades here...an angry, crushing tune sure to be a live favorite. Those riffs on the chorus are ultra-catchy and thick as molasses.

Death of the Meek They keep the tempo quick and the mood dark here. It's a mostly mid-tempo thrasher. I felt the multi-voice chorus didn't work too well, but the bluesy guitar solo was a nice touch. This is a little uneven.

Opponents at Sides There's a kind of cold feeling to this tuneful but heavy song. The melodic gang vocals here work better than "Death of the Meek" and give it a kind of epic feel. Again, there's a touch of Metallica to the proceedings and it almost approaches progressive metal in the way it's set up.

I Chose The Sky There’s more great Bay Area thrashing here, combined with dark and moody melodies. This just may be my favorite here. There's some more excellent guitar soloing and I must give props to the new rhythm section of Damien Sisson and Will Carroll, who don't miss a beat.

Volcanic Instead of the raging thrasher the title implies, this is an entirely acoustic workout with no sign of drums or rough vocals. And it is actually very well done. The lyrics, though, seem to be the angriest of the whole record. This one was a real surprise..

Where They Lay In the vein of "This Hate" and "River of Rapture,” this ends the record on a souped-up neck-snapping note of blazing speed. It's a strong reminder that despite occasional detours, Death Angel is still at heart a thrash metal band

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